Rumors
by withered
Summary: "Miss Eliza Bennet has finally received an offer of marriage!" Oh, Miss Bingley, you really should not be so excited about such a prospect. Even if it is just a rumor because sometimes, it isn't.


This story is unbeta-ed, all mistakes are mine.

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Rumors

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"Mr. Darcy, I have the most delicious news."

It is a truth universally acknowledged that gossip should not be entertained, solely to avoid the company of ill-meaning carriers of other's misfortune. As it was, however, the gentleman from Derbyshire could not avoid the activity despite his unwillingness to participate.

Since the eventful business of this morning, Mr. Darcy was looking forward to the opportunity to calm his excited nerves with a book and perhaps listen to a concerto if his sister – who had insisted she accompany him – would oblige.

However, Miss Darcy had expressed delight in a particular thread and wished to embroider a handkerchief for a new friend of hers (of which he fondly approved), and had made herself comfortable beside him on the divan.

Such a content diversion of the hour had been shattered, rather expectedly, by the arrival of Miss Bingley and one of her favorite pastimes of which he, and his sister were not keen to partake in.

Miss Bingley had returned from London two days after the Darcys had arrived in Hertfordshire – having quit the county at the same time as Mr. Darcy in a bid to "chase him down" as Colonel Fitzwillam had predicted. She descended upon Netherfield, brimming with excuses, complaints and gossip, she was so kind enough to share with them; a typical mixture of inaccurate information, false platitudes and inflated metaphors.

Politeness and good manners, however, dictated that he show at least some interest in the task, and rather absently Mr. Darcy murmured, "Oh?"

Internally he hoped that his apparent disinterest would discourage the lady from engaging him further, but Miss Bingley never needed much of a reason to hear the sound of her own voice: "Oh indeed! It concerns your favorite, Miss Elizabeth Bennet…" She trailed enticingly, and though he was only _marginally_ intrigued, he was loath to reveal it to her.

Beside him, he felt his sister glance at him from the corner of her eye.

Turning a page he had not read, and keeping his expression carefully neutral, Mr. Darcy flatly informed, "I do not put a particular stock in information heard below floors madam."

"But sir, I have it on good authority that it is true!"

He 'hmm'-ed while internally wondering whether it was too soon to turn the page (it was), and then speculated whether Miss Bingley would notice (she would).

Deciding then to keep staring at the page for the sake of a few more minutes to look realistic, the lady continued as if his response, lack thereof, was encouragement enough to continue, "Miss Eliza Bennet has finally received an offer of marriage!"

His mild irritation lifted and threatened to show itself until, Miss Darcy echoed, "How lovely."

"It is indeed," the lady simpered. "I know you met her only in passing dearest Georgiana, and you with your good manners could hardly treat her ill for it. But Miss Eliza, you must have noticed, is not of _our_ caste. She has an uncle in Cheapside you know. She is also one of five daughters with all of them out and none married! Can you believe such irregularities?"

"Is Miss Bennet not being courted by Mr. Bingley?" she asked innocently.

"I may be related to the man, dearest Georgiana, but there is no accounting for taste," Miss Bingley sniffed. "Jane Bennet, I grant you, is a sweet girl, but her family is absolutely common."

"Miss Elizabeth as well?" Miss Darcy asked, practically glowing. "I was quite pleased with her, I admit."

"Oh no, no, no dear!" Miss Bingley decried, "She is a most vapid young lady! It would certainly not do to align yourself with the likes of Miss Eliza Bennet. In fact, I do not know if your brother has told you yet, dearest – but your Aunt Catherine was most displeased with her!"

Miss Darcy hid her excitement well, and demurely took to her needlepoint again. "Well it is a wonder Miss Bingley, how Miss Elizabeth has managed to entrap someone then, is it not?"

Returned to her good humor, for the moment it seemed, Miss Bingley praised, "Indeed Georgiana, you really are quite clever and so terribly observant! Your brother must be proud of you!"

"I always am," he said with a rare smile. Though not aimed at the lady, but at his sibling, Miss Bingley was flushed nonetheless as she fluttered about.

"Would you like to hear then sir, who it is she is engaged to?"

"I am sure it is of no consequence," Miss Darcy replied instead, "surely we should simply wish her happiness?"

"Indeed! Indeed! But oh, this tidbit changes her happy news for it appears that Miss Elizabeth Bennet has been seeing a gentleman right here in Hertfordshire," Miss Bingley divulged in a stage whisper, a scandalized tinge in her tone, "Why, they say she has been sneaking off to see him for months now, in the forest no less!"

"At least they know each other, perhaps they are in love," his sister mused.

Turning to him, Miss Bingley implored, "Do you not find it disgraceful Mr. Darcy, to entertain such inappropriate behavior? I blame it on her ineffectual guardians! I have it on good authority that you could have run into them, and oh, how terrible that would have been! They say they have been rendezvousing in the land between Netherfield and Longbourn, and if you had become involved, oh, it would be a travesty, Mr. Darcy!"

"Were they caught in a compromising position?" Miss Darcy asked, and at the sign of her interest, Miss Bingley feigned seriousness.

"Speculation only, I fret. Some chatty maids discovered that Miss Eliza and this gentleman of hers seemed to disappear at similar hours of the day. Why, it could have been pure coincidence, and yet because of them, they are being forced to matrimony! Gossip is so terribly vile an activity, do you not think?"

The look between the siblings spoke far more than Miss Bingley could hope for if she had been paying attention to them to notice. Fortunately for the Darcy siblings, a footman had interrupted their tête-a-tête, "Miss Elizabeth Bennet has arrived, Mr. Darcy."

Before Miss Bingley could utter a word, the gentleman nodded, shut the book he had long abandoned, set it aside and stood.

Bowing to the remainder of his party, he quit the room briskly at the heels of the footman with a notable hop in his step, to his hostess' displeasure. Nose crinkled, Miss Bingley expressed, "What business could Mr. Darcy possibly have with the likes of Miss Eliza?"

Miss Darcy smiled serenely. "Their wedding, most likely."

 **A/n:** Back again with some one-shots! Hope you guys enjoyed an attempt of mine to write for P&P, for once it isn't an entirely random story of love between our lovely Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth.

This story was actually brought on by the 2005 movie (and is it me, or is P&P due for another remake?) towards the end where Lady Catherine confronts Elizabeth, and Elizabeth and Darcy come upon one another.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Do leave a review if you are so inclined!


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